The Thief and the Prince
by Ichikami
Summary: Naruto and his brother Kiba are thieves, stealing from the rich to give to the needy- themselves. When Prince Sasuke announces that he is holding a competition, the winner gets to be his bride, Kiba comes up with a plan that would make them rich forever.
1. Chapter 1

Attention!

Good day readers. Sorry to keep you waiting, but my mind has failed me once again. I have hit a wall considering SHMD and ACDBG. In response to the block my mind has given me this, another story and I hope it's liked. The next chapters are in the works so it will be pretty soon until one of the previous get updated, most likely Sakura's story. Another story is also on its way, a Yu Yu Hakusho story. It seems like it would turn out okay, I hope it is like as well. Until then please enjoy this bundle of goodness. More NaruSasu GaaLee action! Kind of.

The Thief and the Prince

Chapter 1: The Get Rich Quick Planner

Naruto ran on the roof tops clutching his bundle of loot close to his body. He easily remained ahead of the pack of officers shooting arrows at his head. He dodged them, and became aware of a peculiar noise. Barking, a pattern: two high, one low, one long. Akamaru, he thought to himself, and Kiba. It was the signal. That Kiba was done and ready to go. He jumped off his high position and angled down some alleyways. He quickly lost his pursuers and headed for the rendezvous point.

"Took ya long 'nuff." said Kiba, Naruto's older brother. He posed holding a heavy looking sack. His dog Akamaru sat next to him panting softly. "Sorry. They went all out tonight." Naruto replied handing his goods to Kiba. Kiba held out the sack and he dropped them in. "Alright, let's get outta here before they decide to come this way." The two boys and dog dashed away towards their hideout.

In the hideout

Kiba spread the newly acquired stash out on the floor. "Hey, hey, hey, we did it right this time!" he smiled and rubbed his hands gleefully. Kiba and Akamaru sorted the stolen treasures into piles. Naruto sat at a window and watched the wind blow through the trees.

Naruto and Kiba were orphans. Their parents were trappers who got killed by wild dogs while trying to catch one of the puppies for Kiba who really wanted a pet for his birthday. The two boys were devastated and Kiba attached himself to the dog Akamaru, the last animal of their parent's legacy. The three of them were raised on the streets and became professional thieves. In the beginning they worked as a team, Akamaru was the lookout while Naruto and Kiba sneaked into people's houses to steal their belongings. Now they worked separately, Naruto hit the houses of nobles and Kiba hit the houses of big shots like the mayor and members of government.

Kiba sold some of the stolen goods on the black market run by the mysterious organization, the Akatsuki, and kept some loot for them. Kiba's main goal was to become filthy rich so he, Naruto and Akamaru would no longer have to struggle for a living. Whenever an opportunity to get rich quick showed itself, Kiba jumped on it like a hungry dog on a bone and refused to let it go. Tonight's heist was the first successful plan in three months. The two of them never got caught even though more often than not their attempted robberies failed.

"Alrighty then. Let's go get this down to the Akatsuki's headquarters. The last thing we want is to keep the evidence here too long." He started packing the chosen items back into the sack. Naruto picked up a golden brooch with a star sapphire. "You're not selling this? This would sell pretty high." Naruto asked Kiba. "Are you kidding me?" Kiba snatched the brooch. "We don't have to give them all the good stuff. Just enough to make a mighty profit." He put it away. "You comin o' what?" "I'm comin." Naruto and Kiba left to the Akatsuki's hideout.

Little did they know that the job of the century was heading their way.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Prince Sasuke's Announcement

"It is time you chose a bride, Sasuke." Queen Tsunade told her son. She placed a line of pictures in front of the prince, five lovely, bodacious, young girls. "None of these girls are worthy." Sasuke replied not even glancing at the photos. An anger mark appeared on her forehead. "You say that about all the girls I've shown you! If they're not good enough then who is!" she yelled at him making his head bend back with the force. "Lady Tsunade, please calm down." the queen's attendant Shizune tried to make her sit. "Remember your heart." Tsunade fanned herself with her fur-lined fan. She inhaled then exhaled and shifted in her low-cut, tight corset. "Sasuke, you can't become king if you don't get married. If you don't get married and don't become king I will never have a vacation." Sasuke snorted. "I don't want to be forced into a marriage. I want to fall in love with a nice girl who has the seven attributes." Another, bigger anger mark appeared on Tsunade's forehead. "You will get married. If you don't choose a girl by the end of the month, I will choose for you. And you will no longer have the luxury of saying 'no' to my choice. You will marry her, even if it's your corpse that stands at the altar!" She stormed out of the room, Shizune following behind. "Seven attributes?" asked the masked man who stood at the window. "You've never heard of the seven attributes Kakashi?" Sasuke asked his bodyguard. "My father was the one who told me." Sasuke remembered the conversation he had had that day with his father.

-Flashback begins-

"Kindness, gentleness, truthfulness, an intelligent mind, a forgiving soul, a loving heart, and strength." said Jiraya. "Those are the seven attributes a woman must have to make the perfect wife." he looked at Sasuke. "Oh, is that how you chose mother? Because she has those attributes?" Sasuke asked, looking at his father with shining eyes, touched by the love story. "Hell no. I chose her for her boobs. Unfortunately for me I discovered the seven attributes after I wedded your mother. And your mother obviously lacks them. Can't you see how my life is miserable? Your life will be miserable too if you don't watch out and be careful." Sasuke looked at his father. "Then how did you discover the seven attributes?" "Through my research!" He proudly held up one of the books he had written. "Years of observing the fairer sex has granted me the wisdom to decipher their luscious mysteries!" Jiraya practically covered himself in drool. "Ugh." Sasuke left the red faced pervert and went to his chambers. But the conversation had stayed with him since.

-End Flashback-

"Oh the seven _attributes_. In his books they seem to be listed as something else." said Kakashi his one eye buried in so said book. Sasuke looked at him. "Ah, here it is, the seven attributes: long legs, nice face, toned butt, sexy..." "Ahem." The two turned to see who entered. "Iruka!" Kakashi said in delighted surprise. "Time for lunch your majesty." said his ponytailed attendant who was once attendant to his deceased father. Sasuke got up and followed. "Iruka!" Kakashi tried to get the man's attention but was promptly ignored.

After lunch

Sasuke sat in his room thinking about the ultimatum Tsunade had laid down. Iruka came in to check on him. "Is everything alright your majesty?" he asked. "No. My mother wants me to get married by the end of the month." Sasuke answered. "That shouldn't be too hard. Surely there's some girl out there who has captured your fancy." Iruka said trying to be helpful. "No, they are all worthless." Iruka's eye twitched. "Well then what are you looking for in a woman?" "The seven attributes." Iruka recalled the overheard conversation from earlier. Long legs, nice face, toned butt, sexy… "Your majesty! How could you! I knew we should have chosen someone else to be your bodyguard. It looks like all his wrong characteristics are rubbing off on you. Or is it because perversion runs in your genes?" Sasuke frowned at Iruka. "Nothing is rubbing off on me and don't compare me to the pervert that was my father. I'm talking about a completely different set of attributes. The thing is I will never find that girl." Iruka looked at the depressed prince. "Such a shame you can't meet all the girls in the kingdom in one go to see which one is your soul mate." Iruka mentioned. "Yeah." Sasuke agreed. "Wait!" they both exclaimed at the same time. They looked at each other. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sasuke asked. "I believe I am." Iruka said happily. They set off to put the plan in motion.

Meanwhile in the gutter

Kiba was nonchalantly walking in a crowd, picking people's pockets and snatching their jewelry. Naruto was at the side of the road urging Akamaru to do more tricks. While people stopped to watch, Naruto quickly relieved them of their valuables but left enough on them so they can throw coins at Akamaru. When the crowd of suckers had moved on, Kiba joined Naruto and Akamaru. "There's a lot of people out today. What's going on?" Naruto asked him. Kiba shrugged. "Let's follow and find out." They traveled with the group until they reached the main square. The town crier, Hayate, stood on the pedestal holding a scroll with the royal seal.

"Hear ye, hear ye. In the name of the royal family hear ye. *cough* Prince Sasuke addresses his people hear ye. *cough, cough* The royal family will be hosting a Perfect Princess Competition. The winner *cough, cough, cough* will become the prince's bride." A series of "What!" and "Say what!" and "OMG! *fangirl squeee!*"erupted through the crowd. "Details are in these envelopes." Hayate stated. Before he could step off of his box he was mobbed by crazed fangirls. "Sasuke's bride!" was all they could say. An envelope flew out of the pile of fighting girls and landed at Kiba's feet. He bent and picked it up. "Lucky girls. They get to go to meet the prince." said Kiba. Naruto pulled back with a dark look on his face. "Kiba," he said hoarsely, "I didn't know you rolled that way." "I was thinking about the riches not the prince!" Kiba yelled. They heard someone coughing nearby. It was Hayate. "I don't know what the prince is thinking. Opening the palace gates to anybody." "To anybody?" Kiba's ears perked up. "Yep. Anybody can up and waltz through those pearly gates. But you never know who might come a knocking." But Kiba was lost in dreamland. The royal gates were usually closed and heavily guarded. The walls were made of brick, really tall and really thick. It was Kiba's dream to rob the palace but he had no way to get past the gates. But now- "Pearls, open, gold, jewels!" Kiba grabbed Naruto. "Let's go pay our generous monarch a visit!" "Ah, ah, ah. You can only get in if you have a princess." said Hayate. "A princess?" Kiba asked. "Yep. The gates are only open to eligible young ladies and their associates." Hayate walked away.

"Dang. We don't know no girls!" Kiba kicked a wall in frustration. "All the girls I know are street rats. Where can I get a stupid innocent who would do anything I told them to?" He broke his brain but couldn't think of any. "Aw man. The job of the century and we're stopped before we even start. This sucks." The brothers wandered away from the crowd towards their home. Naruto laughed. "The only way we could do this is if I dressed up like a girl and pretended to be a princess." He grinned at Kiba. "Hilarious, right?" But Kiba wasn't laughing. He looked at Naruto, hard and seriously. Naruto stopped walking, suddenly worried. "Kiba?" Then Kiba grinned. "Oh no." said Naruto. He knew that grin. Kiba always smiled his toothy canine smile when he came up with a get rich quick scheme. "That's actually a pretty good idea Naruto. Surprised I didn't think of it myself."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Princess Naruto

"What?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Dude come on. It's not like you're gonna marry him. All you gotta do is get in there and stay long enough for me to take what we need, then get out."

The two brothers were back home. Kiba had a new plan. It involved Naruto pretending to be a girl so they could get entrance to the palace.

"Just because it's a palace doesn't mean they have priceless treasures lying about the place. Those things are probably locked up and guarded by lots of guards to stop people like you from taking them." Naruto said desperately.

"You mean people like uz. Listen Naru, I'm not gonna try and steal the king's crown, how stupid do you think I am? This is royalty and nobility. They probably eat with silver spoons. We get enough spoons and we would be set for life." Kiba put a reassuring arm around Naruto's shoulders.

"A couple of some noble woman's jewelry, some cash from some gambling young lord, one or two paintings, and then we would be gone."

"Really?" Naruto looked at him hopefully.

"Gone like the wind. Trust me. Have I ever let you down before?"

"Yes." Naruto answered immediately.

"Shut up. Akamaru and I would be your bodyguards. We're gonna need some ladies in waiting to attend to you too." said Kiba thoughtfully rubbing his chin. Ladies in waiting? Naruto thought.

In the middle of town

"Lee pleeeeeeeeease?"

"No. I'm not going to dress up like a woman to help you and Naruto rob the royal family blind. That would be wrong." Lee crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air.

"Whatch-you-talkin-bout? You're as big a criminal as we is." Lee lifted a formidable eyebrow.

"It's one thing to be a thief and another thing to be a performer and get paid for daring feats of wonder. I am an artist not a criminal."

Lee was an ex-acrobat from a circus. When the troupe was passing through town, young Lee got separated from them. He met Naruto and Kiba shortly after. With his lightning fast moves, superior flexibility and world class taijutsu techniques, the kid was an invaluable addition to the duo. Years later Lee broke off from the group and went solo. He spent his days swindling the observers who attended his shows and his nights beating down drunks in bars for money.

"An artistic criminal yes, but stealing is stealing, no matta how you do it. Besides Naruto agreed to it."

" And how did you get him to do that?" Lee asked skeptically.

"Like this." Kiba put a reassuring arm around Lee's shoulders.

" All we're going to do is take a couple of some noble woman's jewelry, some cash from some gambling young lord, one or two paintings, a ship load of silver spoons, and then we would be gone." he fed the lean, large browed boy.

"Oh, really?" Lee asked him playing along.

"Yep. Gone like the wind. Trust me. Have I ever let you down before?" Kiba said. "Yes." said Lee immediately. "Shut up. So will you do it for us?"Kiba asked. "No." Lee answered. "Oh come on. Think of it like a mission. How long can you go without being discovered." Lee paused. Kiba grinned to himself. Hook, line… "Okay, but I want a piece of the profit. I will do this mission and I will succeed!" Lee was pumped up, fire burning in his eyes. Kiba grinned his canine smile.

Sinker.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 4: Plan Execution

The mission to turn Naruto into a princess went underway. The Akatsuki's Konan taught Naruto and Lee how to be feminine. She promised to keep the mission a secret for a piece of the profit. She demanded a blood red diamond from the queen's jewelry safe. Kiba spent weeks stealing clothes, shoes, and accessories for the two to wear. He visited an old friend of his, Ishida Uryuu, who was visiting from some faraway land and asked him to modify the clothes to fit Lee and Naruto. Ishida agreed, but he wanted a new bow from the palace. Next Kiba had to falsify some documents so that background checks run on them would bring up pleasurable results. He went to see white Mokona so he could communicate with the dimension witch Yuuko, since he had no idea how to do that. The price for his wish was twenty bottles of the king's wine.

After all the preparations were done, it was time to head to the palace.

When the trio of guys arrived, the place was packed. The smell of perfume was all over the place. The crazed fangirls were beating up the royal guards. "What's happening?" Naruto asked, too afraid to approach the angry mob. Lee noticed a bulletin tacked up to a tree. He pulled it down, read it, and explained the situation to Kiba and Naruto. In order to get in, the royal family had set up a couple of booths. The eligible princesses had to fill in papers and sign documents to see if they were worthy enough to go in. If the results were unfavorable, the princesses were rejected and kicked out. So far only three princesses were allowed to go in. Apparently the rest, who were either rejected or in the process of being rejected, had gone on a wild rampage and were demanding entrance. "Fill out papers? Favorable?" Kiba placed his hands on his head, went down on his knees, and shouted to the heavens, tears gushing from his eyes. "Why do you keep punishing me?" "Move it! Get out of my way!" Kiba was rudely pushed aside by a pink haired girl. "Sai, wait here for me," she told a boy with short, dark hair and skimpy clothing. "I'm going in." Her eyes gleamed two points of light as she rushed into the group of girls, punching them left, right, and center as she created a pathway towards the nearest booth. The three boys stared. "Whatch-ya-waiting for? Follow her, while she's parting the red sea!" Kiba yelled at Lee and Naruto. "Right!" They picked up their skirts and hurried after the girl.

"A form please!" the pink haired girl said to the man behind the booth. "One for us too!" Lee yelled waving a hand in the air. The two got their forms. Naruto and Lee looked at the paper. "What kind of questions are these?" Naruto asked scanning the paper. "I don't know how to answer this." "Lie!" whispered a voice near Naruto's ear. He jumped, turned and saw Akamaru. He was sitting on Kiba's head, which was crawling up from beneath the feuding females' legs. "Just write a bunch of lies. The last thing we need is to be rejected so early in the game." Naruto thought about it. "No, Naruto write down the truth. If they ask us any questions while we're inside and we get them wrong, we'll be rejected for sure." said Lee from being squeezed beneath some fat girl's bosom, who was demanding a form from the man behind the booth. "Okay." said Naruto. He rested his paper on some girl's back and began to write. By the time he had finished, he had been pushed far away from the booth and couldn't hand it in. He supposed he could punch his way through, like the pink haired girl did. But he didn't want to hit a girl, especially girls who just wanted to fall in love, since he was just in it for the spoons.

"Hey! Give it to me." Naruto turned and saw the pink haired girl. He gave her his paper and she once again parted a way through to the booth. Naruto wormed his way through looking for Lee and Kiba. When he found Lee, the two linked hands so they wouldn't get separated. "Where's Kiba?" he asked Lee. "I don't know." Lee yelled over the girls' noise.

"Princess Naruto, accepted. Lady Sakura, accepted." said a loud speaker voice. "Hey! We got in!" said Kiba popping up from nowhere, his pockets bulging with who knows what. "Let's get out of here and through the gates." Kiba pushed Lee and Naruto toward the slowly opening gates. As girls tried to rush through the narrow crack, Naruto, Lee and Kiba rushed with them and somehow got close. "Princess Naruto?" said a masked man through the crack. Naruto nodded while a bunch of others screamed, "I'm Naruto!" "No, I'm Naruto!" "NO, I'M PRINCESS NARUTO!" "With?" the man asked. "My lady-in-waiting, Lady Lee and bodyguard Kiba with combat dog Akamaru." he answered. "Get in." said the man. He grabbed Naruto, who grabbed Lee, who grabbed Kiba, who grabbed Akamaru and pulled them inside.

They shut the gates behind them and the noise grew louder as more girls heard "insert name here rejected!" The three boys panted and Kiba tried to hide his stolen loot. "Well, part one, success! Let's see how far we can go with this." said Kiba. Lee rolled his eyes and tried to catch a breath, which was hard since the corset was beginning to cut off his air supply. He drifted away to find a hiding spot to loosen it.

Meanwhile, Naruto spotted the pink haired lady and her black haired companion sitting a certain distance away. They looked clean, pristine, and fresh while Naruto and friends looked like they were caught in a buffalo stampede. He walked over to her. "Thanks." he said. "Don't mention it." she said. "We girls need to stick together. But this is only for today. From now on we are rivals." she said with a smile. Naruto squirmed. She thought he was a girl. Go disguise! "But the others outside are girls and you punched them." he said. The pretty pink haired girl frowned. "Those were fangirls. They are a different species of human and can be very vicious. So you need to be just as aggressive. I saw you hanging on the side, scared to go in. So I helped you out. Everyone needs a chance to win love." she curtseyed then held out her hand. "I'm Lady Sakura and this is my brother Lord Sai. It's a pleasure to meet you Princess Naruto." Naruto copied what she did to the best of his ability and shook her hand. "The pleasure is all mine." he said. I like her, he thought to himself. I believe I just made a new friend.

Lee was struggling, trying to get some air. Just when he succeeded, he slipped and fell down backward but was caught by a dude in black with weird markings on his face. And I thought Kiba's face was weird, thought Lee. "You okay?" he asked. Lee nodded. Then he noticed a younger red haired boy with blue eyes surrounded with black. "Kankuro! What are you doing flirting with the hired help? Come here and help me with my bags!" said a tall blonde girl wearing a purple dress. "Temari, I was not flirting!" he left to go do what she said. The red head nodded in Lee's direction and followed. Lee curtseyed, better than Naruto, at the retreating trio, then left to go find the other two boys.

Naruto, Lee, Kiba, and Akamaru stood with the other princess potentials: Lady Sakura, Princess Temari, Countess Hinata, and Duchess Ino with their associates who attended with them. The noise outside had faded out and now all was eerily silent. The silver haired man with the mask, a brown haired man with a long ponytail and a scar across his nose, and a black haired woman with a pig stood in front of them. "Congratulations! You lucky five have been chosen as a potential bride for Prince Sasuke. I am Shizune, the queen's attendant and this is Kakashi and Iruka, Prince Sasuke's bodyguard and attendant. You girls will be living together from now on so please be on your best behavior and do everything you possibly can to make our prince happy."

In Princess Naruto's chambers

"Alrighty dighty then. Let's see what we got." said Kiba unrolling a scroll. "What's that?" said Lee. He and Naruto were no longer dressed like women. It was night time and the trio of thieves was getting ready for bed. "After I found out who passed the preliminaries, I had a friend gather up some info on the competition." said Kiba. "And what is this costing us?" asked Naruto. Kiba frowned. "A sacred book made of gold leaf. Apparently it's located in the castle's chapel. No worries. Nothing I can't handle." he and Akamaru looked at the scroll. He read aloud from the pages:

Countess Hinata, accompanied by her cousin and guardian the Count Neji of the Land of Hyuuga, one of the largest cities in the country of Konoha, second only to the capital, the Land of Uchiha; a very difficult and influential opponent

"Those are the quiet people with the white eyes, right?" asked Lee. "Yeah," said Kiba. "There's a rumor that they have an ability to see things, that's why their eyes look like that."Kiba read off of the scroll. "See what? The future? The past? Into your head!" asked Naruto. "I don't know. It's just a rumor. Chances are it's just a genetic birth defect like albinoism…ism. Just forget about it." Kiba continued.

Duchess Ino, accompanied by her father the Duke of Nara, Shikamaru. "Say, what? That guy was her father! I thought he was her brother, he looks so young!" exclaimed Naruto. "He's rich and a genius, and apparently has discovered the secret to eternal youth…what?"read Kiba. "This is a piece of crap." He threw the scroll on the ground. "He thinks he can get a sacred gold book out of me for this? He must be dreaming." Lee picked up the scroll and continued. A difficult opponent, impossible to match with wits.

Princess Temari, all the way from the desert land of Suna! A wedding between the nations can insure good relations. Accompanied by her two brothers, Crown Prince Gaara and Prince Kankuro, the commander of the Suna army. Temari is the oldest of the three and the princes Sasuke and Gaara used to play together when they were younger. A difficult opponent, Temari has the advantage of personally knowing the prince.

"You don't say." said Kiba. "Naruto, get close to them too." "What? You want me to seduce _two_ princes?" said Naruto disbelievingly. "No, you idiot. Get on the best friend's side and you're automatically standing on the threshold of your destination. Think Naruto, think." said Kiba while Akamaru barked his agreement.

And last but not least, the Lady Sakura, accompanied by her brother Lord Sai, from the Land of Uchiha, Sai acquired his title of lord through the recognition of his life like art pieces. "Art?" Kiba's ears pricked up. "Yes. But it seems he's … crazy." "What do you mean crazy?" Naruto asked. "It says that he has no emotions, always says exactly what he thinks, and has no conscience. His parents proclaimed him mentally ill at the age of five." Lee read. Not an opponent you have to think about, they are worthless.

"Oh, really? Well I'll just judge that for myself." said Kiba.

For the readers waiting for updates… ACDBG will be up soon. SHMD will be up a little after that.


	5. Chapter 5

Dear Readers, I have returned. Things will try to happen and go to completion. I do not own Naruto and characters.

Chapter 5: The Perfect Princess

"I can't do this. I can't do this!" Naruto was hyperventilating and pulling on the ends of his wig. "Silver spoons Naruto. Silver spoons. Whenever you get nervous tell yourself –silver spoons." Kiba was rubbing Naruto's shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. Akamaru sat on the nearby desk nuzzling comfort into the boy's neck.

Naruto and the rest of the princesses had received a summons. They were to eat breakfast with the royal family that morning. Naruto was scared out of his wits. They had yet to meet the prince and he was absolutely positive that he was going to mess this up. "What are you doing, Kiba? Shouldn't you have stolen something by now?" Naruto turned on Kiba blaming his troubles on his older brother.

"Hey! You try getting some spoons when the cook never leaves the kitchen." said Kiba. The trio of thieves had been in the castle for a week. Nothing interesting had happened. They hung out with the other princess hopefuls, explored the castle, taken some stuff (Kiba), ate a lot of stuff (Naruto) and were in the middle of having a great time. Kiba had immediately gotten to work, mapping out the castle, figuring out the palace guards' schedules, noting objects he would like to take. But the cook NEVER left the kitchen.

He was a chubby, round-faced young man who was constantly eating fried potatoes or something. He had light brown hair tied up in two puffs with a blue head band and red swirls on his cheeks. He and Duke Shikamaru looked like they were close friends, Shikamaru called him Choji. One time Kiba staked out the kitchen, never leaving his post from 8am to 8pm (and that was torture). The man sat there, cooking, eating, or washing dishes. He never left, took a nap, or anything. Kiba was mortified. Then he found out the man slept in the kitchen, with one eye open, literally.

Any rat that had the gall to run around his kitchen floor got their tails chopped off with a carving knife. He had really good aim and a special knife reserved just for that job. The last thing Kiba wanted to do was steal silver spoons from Choji's kitchen. But there was no way he was going to tell Naruto that.

Lee entered the room with Naruto's dress. "Get ready Naruto. You wouldn't want to be late." Naruto quickly got ready. "Wish me luck." he left for the breakfast. Kiba and Lee watched him go. "Lee, I need your help." said Kiba. Lee looked at him questioningly. "I can't get any spoons without your help." "What do you need me for?" Lee asked. "I need you to be a distraction." said Kiba.

Lee, Kiba, and Akamaru were soon hiding behind a wall looking at servants entering and exiting with the food for the meal about to be consumed. "So, what am I supposed to do?" asked Lee. "The cook never leaves the kitchen. I need you to get him out." "And how am I supposed to do that?" Lee demanded. "I don't know. Turn cartwheels, juggle eggs, use your feminine charms or something. Just get him out of there long enough for me to steal some silver." Kiba said. Lee sighed. "Alright. I'll try my best. But I can't guarantee more than five minutes." "Make it ten." "Seven." "Done."

Lee made sure his wig was on right and stepped into the kitchen. Kiba and Akamaru slipped away to go outside to enter the kitchen from another direction. Servants were scurrying as Chef Choji made orders. He tasted a yellow liquid and called for seasonings and spices and the like. Lee came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. Choji looked at him. "What do you want? It better be important, can't you see how busy it is in here?" Choji asked. Lee gaped for a few seconds. "The duke would like to have a word with you." Lee told him, hoping he would fall for it.

Choji paused. "Don't touch the food, I'll be right back." he told his underlings. They nodded and went back to doing what they were doing. Lee sighed in relief. The cook was gone but the kitchen was still crawling with servants. He had to clear the area somehow. He stopped a servant who looked like she was having a panic attack. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

"No! Princess Temari wants fish from the east coast for her breakfast but they haven't arrived yet!" she wheezed and blew into a paper bag. "Why does that concern you?" Lee asked. "Because I'm the person who takes care of the royal family's special desires. When there are guests, it is also my duty to cater to them as well." she explained.

"Oh. So then you have my Mistress Princess Naruto's orange chicken eggs, yes?" Lee asked, making up nonsense on the spot. "What?" the girl asked looking vacant. "Princess Naruto only eats eggs that have been laid by an orange chicken. She can tell the difference." Lee explained. The girl paled then screamed a note only a banshee could hit. "EVERYBODY, STOP!" The chaos in the kitchen immediately stopped. "FIND ME AN ORANGE CHICKEN NOW!" Every one cleared the area. Lee looked around the empty kitchen. It's up to you now Kiba, thought Lee leaving the kitchen.

Kiba crawled into the kitchen a few seconds later, wearing a disguise. He couldn't help but be impressed. Lee had cleared the kitchen in less than two minutes flat. He hit the cupboards searching for valuables but apparently all the silverware had already been taken out to the dining hall. He opened a drawer and was greeted with the sight of solid silver spoons. Just as he was about to dive in he heard somebody shout, "Hey!"

Kiba whirled around. It was the cook and the duke. But they weren't studying him. They were looking at Akamaru who had his nose on a nice juicy piece of meat. Choji grabbed the rat knife and threw it with deadly accuracy at the dog. Kiba jumped and saved his dog from a life of tail-less-ness. Choji and Shikamaru started in surprise. "What the-?" said Shikamaru. "Thief!" yelled Choji. With a speed that belied his size Choji jumped in the air and whipped out deadly ninja moves on the duo.

Kiba was like, "Aw hell no," and started to use his street learned battle moves on the cook. Shikamaru had in the meantime gone to get some guards and came back with four of them. "There he is! The old man." Shikamaru said pointing at Kiba. Kiba grabbed a couple of spoons out of the open drawer. He slinked out the open window with the rat knife flying behind him. Akamaru was long gone and Choji was pissed. The guards tried to follow Kiba but he was a professional of course and disappeared without a trace.

A good while later

Naruto sat at the table between Hinata and Sakura. The queen looked at them with critical eyes and the prince's bodyguard looked at them perversely. It made Naruto uneasy that a guy was looking at him like that. Foods carried by the servants were placed before them. They began to eat and make light conversation. Naruto squirmed in the seat. He hoped they wouldn't pay attention to him.

"So, Naruto, from what family do you receive your royalty?" asked Tsunade. Naruto choked on his juice. He struggled to remember the back story they had come up with. "My parents died when I was really young. I grew up in a nunnery. My parents were related to the royal family from Uzumaki." They looked at him with surprise. "Uzumaki? That island that was destroyed by the earthquake and the tidal wave how many years back?" Ino asked. "Yes." said Naruto. "My parents weren't there though when the tragedy stuck. My father was killed by wild animals and my mother died of illness. All my family papers and important documents were lost. I only knew who I was from the nuns who were taking care of me and my mother." The group was silenced by the sad and tragic tale.

Feeling good with his reply, Naruto took a bite of the eggs. "Does this taste weird to you?" he whispered to Sakura. The poor concierge girl standing nearby fainted. She wasn't able to find an orange chicken.

In Princess Naruto's chambers

When Naruto returned in the early afternoon, Kiba looked really pleased with himself. "What are you so smug about?" Naruto asked him. "Voila!" Kiba whipped out five solid silver spoons. "Thought I couldn't do it didncha?" Naruto didn't look impressed. He whipped out seven spoons, three forks, two knives and a crystal goblet from underneath his dress. Kiba blinked. "Well, duh! You had easy access! I had to sneak! I bet you didn't have a knife covered in rat juice thrown at you!" yelled Kiba. "I'm so unappreciated." Rat juice, Naruto thought to himself. "How was the breakfast?" Lee asked. "It went great!" said Naruto. "We'll be participating in the first test in a few hours."


	6. Chapter 6

All Naruto characters belong to the people who made them.

Chapter 6: The First Test

Truthfulness, an intelligent mind

"How do you plan on testing the princesses for the seven attributes?" asked Kakashi. He, Sasuke, and Iruka were in the prince's room. The first test was about to start. The princess hopefuls had been in the castle for a while and Sasuke had yet to speak to any, except for Temari. They were childhood friends after all. Kakashi and Iruka were worried. It seemed to be a good idea when Sasuke had first suggested it but now they weren't too sure.

"It's not the attributes that's going to be tested. Their skills to be a worthy partner for a future ruler are. The attributes are important but a good queen who can take care of her country is also needed." said Sasuke. "In that case, Princess Temari would be a good decision. She has experience in being a ruler." said Iruka. "Yes," said Sasuke, "but right now I only view her as a friend. I can't just choose her just like that." Sasuke looked at his trusted advisors. "If I value my freedom, I have to make myself fall love with one of these girls. The girl who possesses the seven attributes would make a good wife and chances are that eventually I'll end up falling in love with her, if I can't do that in a month."

"That sounds all well and nice but what I don't get is how this thing works." said Kakashi.

So Sasuke explained the plan:

The three tests are going to be on three different aspects of royal life. The first is how you do behind the table: signing papers, passing laws, meetings, declarations, treaties and the like. The second is how you deal with the people: listening to their problems, help make life easier for them, kissing their babies and all that. The third is how you deal with other nobles: the last test is going to be a ball. All of the nobility will be invited. We'll see how they deal with bickering, backstabbing politicians.

"Where does the attributes fit in?" asked Iruka.

And Sasuke explained that part:

The two of you and I have to keep a good eye on the contestants. It's not just about whether or not they pass the test, it's about how they pass the test. Do they pass it nicely letting my desired attributes shine through? Or do they pass it the way those girls pass it on the Bachelor. Immediate expulsion if you see even a hint of that.

"Why are you so dead set on having a woman with these attributes." said Kakashi. "Just take the hottest one." Iruka slapped him in the back of his head with a large paper fan. Sasuke looked Kakashi in the eye. "No way I'm gonna end up like my father."

The three people of the royal household went to carry out the test.

After the test in the evening time

Sasuke sat in his room, alone this time. He thought about the princesses and the test that had taken place earlier that day. In the paper room the girls raised in seats of power did fine. Naruto, the orphaned princess raised in a convent, wasn't so privileged. She had a hard time. But she learned quickly and eagerly. But what really impressed the prince was the way she stood up to him.

-Begin playback-

While reviewing tax rates and such, Naruto had noticed something in the bill to be sent out. The bill was talking about tax raises and the like. The rich and middle class would not be too affected by it, Naruto reasoned but he and Kiba would not be able to survive in a world like that. He had to say something. The chancellor who was reading the bill to the group was stunned when Naruto interrupted and asked about changing the bill.

"Wow Naruto you're so smart." said Hinata softly, for she hadn't noticed. Temari was also impressed; it had escaped her eye as well. Ino and Sakura looked a little dazed.

The prince had taken Naruto aside after that when everybody had left. "I'm impressed." he said. "You were smart enough to notice something like that and fix it so that everybody in the country could benefit. And you were brave and truthful enough to point it out even if you could have been punished for speaking out against a bill written by the queen as not a member of the royal council."

Naruto blushed. He wasn't used to being praised like that. "Wanna know something?" Sasuke asked looking mischevious. "That wasn't the original bill written by my mother. I changed it to see what you girls would do when you heard it. It was part of the test." Naruto gaped. Was the prince telling him he had won the first round? "That'll be our secret." said Sasuke smiling at him with a wink. Naruto's heart did back flips. What the heck? That frightened him. Last time he checked he didn't have heart palpitations. He wondered what was going on with his heart. Maybe it was because the prince was so cute and gorgeous. No! Naruto would not let his mind go there. He excused himself and scurried away to escape.

Neither noticed Kiba lurking in the shadows, silently pocketing bags of gold. He was eavesdropping on the prince and his brother and was glad that the prince was beginning to take a liking to Naruto. That could eventually mean permission to enter restricted areas, which meant treasure. He smiled, silently offering Naruto encouragement as he slipped away taking a few valuable scrolls with him.

-End playback- 

Not many people dared to do that, thought the prince to himself. He now had one candidate to look at for future choosing. He had to admit she was cute when she turned all red and wide eyed. She looked embarrassed and startled when he had complimented her. And that to Sasuke was endearing. He hoped she would keep up the good work. He wanted to get to know her better.

In Princess Naruto's chambers

The trio of thieves was getting ready for bed. Naruto was wiped out. Kiba was pleased. Lee was already half asleep. "Naruto good work, keep it up." encouraged Kiba. "You continue on like this and we'll have splendid riches in no time." He curled up around Akamaru and went out like a light.

Naruto thought about the day and the weird connection he had felt with the prince. If they weren't so different and had different lives and things like that, Naruto felt that they could have been good friends. The prince had called him truthful and smart. Naruto squirmed trying to get comfortable in the bed and get rid of the cold bitterness he felt in the bottom of his heart. He was beginning to feel a little guilty about deceiving the prince like that.

Lee looked at Naruto. The young acrobat turned thief knew where his friend's thoughts were going, since his was beginning to head in the same direction, but towards another red headed prince. He was beginning to wish that Kiba would pick up the pace and steal something already so they could leave. If they kept at this pace they could be found out or worse. He looked at Naruto's sleeping form. The boy could end up falling in love with the high prince.

As the lights went out inside the castle, a tall dark figure in a black cloak walked up to the castle's gate. "State your name and business," one of the guards challenged holding up a torch to see the face of the stranger more clearly. He gasped as he looked at the man, staggered back and stood at attention. "S- so sorry my lord." he said in respect. "That's alright. Just doing your job." the man said walking into the gates. His red ring with the black sharigan design glinted as he walked past. Soldiers still in the courtyard gaped as he walked past.

The man smiled to himself. It was good to be home.


	7. Chapter 7

All Naruto characters belong to the people who made them.

Chapter 7: All Hail Prince Itachi

The next day

Kiba was walking through the hallways when suddenly a familiar figure crossed his path. "Kiba?" the person asked. Kiba did a double take. "Itachi!" It was one of the members of the Akatsuki, the black market organization that Kiba used to sell his stolen goods. Kiba looked around wildly, trying to spot some royal guards. Not seeing any, he grabbed a surprised Itachi by the elbow and pulled him inside a nearby door, which just happened to lead to a library. "Itachi, what are you doing here?"

Kiba hissed whispered. "Are you trying to get us arrested?" Itachi smirked at the shorter, panicked boy. "I have a legitimate reason for being here. You on the other hand do not. What are you doing here?"

Kiba blinked for a few seconds. "Um, not stealing anything, that's for sure." "Oh really?" asked Itachi, pulling out a diamond and pearl necklace he had taken from Kiba's pocket. Kiba's eyes widened then narrowed. So much for trying to trick him, Itachi being a professional thief and all, Kiba thought. "It doesn't matter why I'm here…"Kiba started to say but was then interrupted. "KIBA!" said Temari entering the library, Kankuro close behind.

"Oh wow! Itachi!" she went to give him some hugs and air kisses. Itachi hugged and air kissed back. "You look simply lovely Temari. I assume you're here to woo my brother?" Itachi asked her. "Yeah, Dad wouldn't let go about it so I'm here."

She turned to Kiba, "Tell Princess Naruto to hurry up. The second test is about to start. If she misses this she could be disqualified." While telling Kiba her vital information she noticed her necklace was missing. "Oh my goodness! My necklace! Who what, where, when, why…?" Itachi held up the previously confiscated piece of expensive jewelry. "This it?" he asked. "Yes! Where did you find it?"

"Lying around. You should probably have the clasp fixed, maybe it slipped from your neck." said Itachi keeping his eyes away from the fidgeting, guilty Kiba. "Thanks, you're a life saver. See ya! Bye Kiba. Kankuro! We go!" Temari pointed and the two sped off to do some other errand.

"Princess Naruto?" Itachi looked at Kiba. He looked away. "Oh my gosh! You used Naruto as a girl to get into the palace? You sneaky little thief! That's a really good idea." Itachi actually looked impressed. "If you turn us in we'll say you're a thief too." said Kiba. "They have no reason to believe you Kiba. So I'm safe." said Itachi. "You on the other hand are an unknown variable. Should I make an accusation against you it will immediately be heeded. Imagine when they find out that Naruto is actually a boy."

Kiba glared at him. Itachi had him there. "Fine, what do you want?" he asked him. "Nothing. Continue as you were." said Itachi. "You're not going to tell?" asked Kiba. "No. Any profit you make from this is in one way or another coming back to me. And this little soap drama the two of you have created is going to provide me with a little bit of entertainment during my stay here. So don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." Itachi smiled and left.

Kiba stood there numb and really frightened. Itachi held the lives and the futures of him, his brother, and their best friend in the palms of his well manicured and purple polished hands. This mission to riches had just gotten a whole lot deadlier. Kiba immediately began trying to make a plan that would end with the three boys alive in the end. He pushed the annoying question that was in the back of his brain away and forgot about it: Who was Itachi and why did that make him immune to persecution?

Lee and Naruto were rushing. They had to go to the stables to get to the next test. Naruto had stayed behind to eat more food and had ended up being late. Lee noticed the tall man with the long black hair before Naruto did. He did a 180 and just as he tried to escape with his dress wearing friend, the man saw Naruto at the same time as Naruto saw him. The two locked eyes. "No way, Itachi!" said Naruto doing a reaction shock pose. Then he realized he should have kept his mouth shut and kept on walking.

Too late. Itachi paused then laughed. "Naruto. I wouldn't have recognized you if you hadn't shouted like that. You look cute." he looked at the black haired girl standing next to the boy in drag. She had her head down. He didn't recognize her. He would have definitely remembered seeing those eyebrows. Maybe she's new here, Itachi thought to himself. He waved goodbye to Naruto and continued on his merry way.

Lee breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Itachi, but apparently Itachi didn't know him. That was something in their favor. Itachi didn't look surprised to see Naruto. In fact he looked like he was expecting it. That meant he had met Kiba and Kiba had spill the beans. Two thieving companies on the same turf meant war and Lee was determined to come out on top, no matter how experienced the competition was. He looked at Naruto who had turned into a stone statue. "Come on let's go." he told the stone boy princess.

At the stables

The princesses had gathered along with Prince Sasuke and Kakashi to go riding into the city. Naruto was freaking out. Lee had gone to fetch Kiba, leaving him alone and he wanted to die. Itachi, the master thief Itachi, his role model, had seen him in a dress. Sakura and Ino were talking to Hinata about something. He decided to listen and forget about the loss of the rest of his manly pride.

"I saw him." Ino was saying. "He's so smexy!" "But not as smexy as Prince Sasuke!" said Sakura. "Of course not! But he kinda looks like Prince Sasuke so that's why he belongs in the top ten sexiest guys in Konoha." said Ino. Hinata looked like the conversation was making her feel embarrassed. "Who?" Naruto asked with his nosy self. "Prince Itachi!" said Sakura and Ino simultaneously.

"Itachi is a prince?" asked Naruto in loud disbelief. Sasuke looked at him, the interrupted conversation with Kakahsi forgotten. 'Itachi?' Sasuke wondered to himself. Not 'Prince Itachi?' Why does Naruto sound like she's familiar with him? Really familiar with him. "You know my brother?" he asked Naruto. Naruto fainted and got back up again like a see saw. "Itachi is your brother!"

Yep, thought Sasuke. They know each other. "I thought you lived in a convent for the majority of your life. How could you have met him?" Naruto blinked and crossed his eyes. He immediately tried to think of a lie. But he wasn't good at that. Kiba was the one who could spew forth lies like a river.

"I… didn't spend all my time in the convent. I went out sometimes. I might have seen him somewhere once, but I don't know who he is or what he is or what he does for a living. I don't know him like that. Oh look a puppy!" Naruto ran towards Akamaru who was on business for Kiba.

Sasuke frowned. He could tell Naruto was lying. And he didn't like it one bit.

In the Palace

Prince Itachi was knocking on the door to the queen's chambers. Shizune opened it and squealed when she saw him. "Itachi!" she gave him a hug. Tsunade turned to watch her eldest son walk into the room. She took a swig from a bottle nearby and twisted a little so the breeze wandering in through the window could cool more of her body. She resisted the urge to smack the smirk that reminded her of her late husband off of Itachi's face.

She still hadn't forgiven him for giving up the throne to run off with some mermaid. "What brings you here Itachi?" she asked him. "My brother's princess contest. What's this about?" Itachi answered. "Well unlike you, Sasuke is willing and ready to take up his responsibility and rule this country. This contest is to help him choose the perfect bride."

"How will he know which is the one?" Itachi asked thinking about Naruto. "He has his standards. The one who fullfils them or makes him fall in love with them wins." Tsunade answered. "So, who's in the lead?" asked Itachi. "There is no lead! This is not a race." said Tsunade feeling very frustrated. "Well, Sasuke seems to have taken a liking to Princess Naruto, so I think she might win." said Shizune. "You don't say." said Itachi, who was secretly laughing in his head (Sasuke fell in love with a booooy!) and crying in his heart (Sasuke fell in love with a BOY! He's gonna get heartbroken!).

"Yes. Speaking of taken a liking, ever found your mermaid?" asked Tsunade. Itachi looked at her. "Yes I did." The two women's eyes' widened in surprise. "And he's not a mermaid." said Itachi walking out of his mother's room with a mysterious smile on his face. There was a bit of silence. "HE?" came Tsunade's surprised shout as the door closed.


	8. Chapter 8

Greetings I have returned. After years of battling writer's block, and the victorious defeat of laziness and procrastination, I will attempt to finish these stories.

Chapter 8: The Second Test

Kindness, gentleness, a forgiving soul,

In the city

The princess hopefuls, the prince, and the attendants were riding on horseback through the city of Uchiha. The people who were new there looked around with interest. Naruto looked around with disinterest. Naruto was bored. They were riding through one of the richer parts of town, far away from where the trio of thieves lived and did their main dealings, so Naruto wasn't very concerned about some random passerby looking at him and recognizing him. Many people came out to greet the prince and pay respects to the royal family. That was the highlight of Naruto's day. For a person who didn't mingle much with the upper class, Naruto was surprised at how many noblemen he knew.

There was the mayor, their good old friend, whose deceitful, money grubbing ways always made the brothers a good fortune. That one over there, kissing the lady Sakura's hand was the doctor. He invested his fortune in marble and ivory figurines many of which caught a good price on the black market. Naruto couldn't help but laugh when the young son of the viscount started flirting with him. He thought he was such a playboy, but Naruto knew that his wife was sleeping with the head of the city guardsmen, as he had walked in on them during the most recent heist before they began this travesty. (That was the main reason why those officers were chasing him. If Naruto let such information fly, the captain could be tried and hung for adultery.) To Naruto, they felt like old friends. Friends who want to have him killed, but friends nevertheless.

After the mingling with the rich and infamous, the royal group headed off to the market place, where merchants were selling their merchandise. Naruto knew this part of town. He, Kiba, and Akamaru used to sneak in and steal pastries from the bakers and the cheap jewelry from the people who swore up and down their jewels were real. Back then they were fooled, now, Naruto knew glass when he saw it. Everything was going fine, although Naruto found it strange to be legitimately _buying_ something, until a merchant and three guards chasing a young boy came barreling past their picnic area.

The young child ran into the midst of them knocking the princesses over and sought sanctuary … right under Naruto's dress! Naruto squealed like a pig at slaughter and regretted that the noise ever came out of his mouth right after. Everyone was shocked, Sasuke looked livid and Hinata, sweet girl that she was attempted to help Naruto out of his predicament. Naruto couldn't let her do that and tried to snatch himself away from the child and the countess. "Arrest that boy!" yelled the merchant and Naruto could've fainted for he was wearing heels and a skirt and he did not have much experience running in those. The shaking figure of the child latched onto his leg reminded him that he was not the thief they were looking for. "That villain stole some money from my booth!" said the merchant. "I want justice! Hand him over!"

Naruto knew what it was like to be in this young thief's shoes. (In fact, he was still in the young thief's shoes. An elaborate dress was just draped over it.) How could he condemn this child for doing something that he had done all his life? Moreover, he had stolen more than a few coins from this particular merchant before himself. "The child will return what was stolen so please let him go free."

Being stared at by a bunch of royal people, majority of which were beautiful ladies and the crown prince, made the merchant be kind and let the urchin go. Naruto took the child by the hand and led him away from the market. "You need to be more careful." Naruto told him. "Go home now." "Thanks mister!" said the brat and ran away towards the not so attractive part of town. Naruto decided to ignore that parting comment and returned to the group.

"Naruto, where is your bracelet?" asked Sakura after he returned. He looked at his wrist. "Um.." "The child must have taken it. How ungrateful!" said Ino looking put out. "After what you did for him too." said Hinata softly. "It's okay, it's just a bracelet." said Naruto with his hand behind his head looking embarrassed. "He probably needs it more than I do." Naruto had known when the little bastard tried to make off with the bracelet. He didn't do a good job of taking it without him noticing. But Naruto was a thief as well. You had to be a better thief to steal from another thief. Naruto let him go with it, seeing as his heist was just spoiled. Kiba would just have to deal with the loss of one of his stolen goods.

Sasuke watched as the princesses tried to comfort Naruto. How nice for her to stand up for the child. She is a very forgiving person too, he thought to himself. A few more attributes got checked off his list.

In the palace

The group returned and was having a break for the rest of the day. Sasuke met up with Itachi and decided to have dinner together. "How do you know Naruto?" Sasuke asked his brother, oh so casually when they were hanging out in his room. Itachi glanced at his brother. "What makes you think I know the child?" he asked. "Well, Naruto seemed to be acquainted with you. She talked about you as if she knew you before. In a familiar sort of fashion." Sasuke tried to be subtle but he knew it wasn't working. "Let's just say I've done business with her people before." said Itachi vaguely. Sasuke realized that he wasn't going to get any info out of his brother. Sasuke sighed and left to take a walk in the garden.

In Princess Naruto's quarters

Kiba and Lee were holding a conference in Naruto's room. They were trying to figure out how to deal with the fact that Itachi was present, a prince, and held all the god cards in this card game. "Itachi is a prince?" asked Kiba. Naruto nodded. "If he's a prince, why is he the number one thief in the underworld? Why is he the head of a super-secret organization of smugglers, swindlers and masters of fraud? Why is a _prince _married to a water fairy? A male water fairy?" Kiba asked angrily. "He's a fairy?" asked Naruto. "I thought he was a mermaid." "You mean merman. He lives in fresh water he's totally a fairy." Kiba corrected. "Enough. Itachi's reasons for being what he is, isn't important. We need to find a way to make sure we can trust him to keep our secret without the worry that he'll betray us." said Lee firmly.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door. Lee adjusted his dress and rose to answer it. A servant stood there, breathless as if he were running. "A summons for the princess, Naruto. The queen is holding an impromptu meeting in the ballroom for the princess, and wants to speak with her immediately." he gasped out between shallow breaths. Lee's heart did the tootsie roll and ended with a split. "I'll make sure he.. um.. _she_ gets the message. Thank you." said Lee in a high, boy trying to sound like a girl voice and slammed the door shut in the poor servant's face. He stared wild-eyed at the other two boys who stared wild-eyed back at him. "I do believe the cat's been let out of the bag."

In the ballroom

Naruto's heart was pounding very loudly in his ears. He followed the servant to the ballroom and felt like a prisoner being led to the gallows. The servant turned back to look at him curiously. Oh my gosh, he can hear my heart beating. He gave the boy a weak smile but the boy just looked away. He felt his head to check if his wig was in place. The ballroom was large and covered in crystal, silk, and precious ornaments. If he were here, Kiba would have begun to turn cartwheels, being in the presence of so much wealth. Naruto spotted the queen, the attendants: Iruka, Shizune, and Kakashi, and the _prince_ Itachi, standing at the throne. His heart lurched and he had to hide a cough behind his fan to prevent said heart from leaping out of his mouth and splattering itself on the floor like some gift to the queen. He turned his head and spotted the other princesses. What was going on?

The queen smiled. It looked friendly enough. His eye fell on Itachi. He looked smug as if he knew what Naruto was thinking. It made Naruto feel a little assured that he was not facing a death sentence. "Now that everyone's here, I am here to announce that very soon the prince would choose his bride and would do so at a ball that will be held three days from now." said the queen.

Later in the garden

"Akamaru!" Kiba was calling. He had let the dog out to do business and get some exercise, after Naruto went to see the queen. Enticed by who knows what the dog had gone bounding away and had not come back. Kiba left him alone for a while but got worried when Akamaru was gone for more than an hour. He wandered around the place looking for his dog. Then he heard faint barking. It sounded desperate and frantic. "Akamaru!" Kiba rushed towards the sound hoping it was not his dog. However, it was.

Kiba walked in on Akamaru suspended in midair barking his head off. Kiba vaguely wondered why Akamaru was floating and was about to try to get him down. Then he saw the reason for the season. A man with long black hair hanging out of a hooded cloak and covering his face from sight was holding his hand out. A weird purple light glowed from his palm. Kiba ran to attack the man who had the spell on his dog then he noticed. From the waist down, the man had the body of a snake.

His dark forest grey green scaly body was wrapped around another body. A human body with black hair. A boy. A...

"Prince Sasuke!" Kiba called out drawing his sword. He rushed to do battle with the person who was holding the dog and young prince captive. The man flung his hand in Kiba's direction and he went flying. Akamaru followed landing safely on top of Kiba. Black swirly designs rose from the ground, wrapped around him and he disappeared.

Kiba lay there with his mouth open in shock while Akamaru tried to lick him back to sanity. He got up, grabbed his dog and ran inside.

The royal household and guests were gathered in the ballroom. Kiba dashed through ignoring the guards who tried to stop him. "Sasuke has been kidnapped!" yelled Kiba. It was silent for a while. Everybody stared at him as if he was crazy. "What?" said Tsunade, a little confused. "The prince was eaten by a giant snake!" said Kiba hoping that would get a reaction. It did. Everybody began to freak out, hyperventilate and cry (not necessarily doing all three mind you). "We have to save him." yelled Sakura and Ino. Kakashi and Iruka began to do things that royal bodyguards and attendants do when their charge has been kidnapped.

"It's alright, everybody. Calm down. I know who did it." said Itachi.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Evil Wizard

When Sasuke came to, he was tied up and hanging off a chimney mantel edge like a Christmas stocking. He was in a dark stone room. A warm orange fire burned below him. He looked around. It was a pretty ordinary room. There was a wooden table and a chair. There was a rocking chair in front of a couch near the fireplace where he was. There was a polar bear with glasses crouching in the corner. Wait, what? Before Sasuke could think about that, something white skinned, black haired, dangerous looking, and just plain creepy stood before him. It was wearing a creamy yellow cloak with a hood and a purple rope like belt around the waist. It looked into Sasuke's eyes and he was looking into the golden eyes of a snake.

In the palace

"You know who kidnapped Sasuke?" asked Gaara. "Yes. I do. I know him because he has tried to kidnap me before." said Itachi. "What? How come I do not know of this?" asked Tsunade. "Because it wasn't important." Itachi replied.

-Flashback begins-

Little Itachi and Baby Sasuke were playing in the royal garden. Little Itachi threw the ball he was playing with into the water fountain and went to retrieve it. Suddenly Little Itachi heard a noise. He turned around and saw a tall, pale person with black hair. "Oh, my, gosh! It's Michael Jackson!" he said in surprise. Little Itachi was thrilled. MJ was his idol and Little Itachi could do the whole Smooth Criminal dance, with the tilt! He stood there, too shocked to scream, cry, or ask for his autograph. MJ's eye twitched. "I am not Michael Jackson." he said. "Then who are you?" asked Little Itachi. "I am Orochimaru, Dark Wizard!" thunder rolled and lightning flashed somewhere. Little Itachi was disappointed. "Well then you're not worth my time." Little Itachi walked away from the person who was not MJ. Orochimaru tried to grab him but tripped over Baby Sasuke who decided his cloak tasted good. He fell with a crash. "Come here little prince! What is this?" he looked at Baby Sasuke. "My brother." said Little Itachi bored. Orochi paused. Too young, he decided, I don't have the time to wait for this thing to grow up.

"Come here so I can kidnap you." Orochi said to Little Itachi. "Why?" asked Little Itachi. "So I can take your body!" Little Itachi paused. "Sorry, you're not my type." said Little Itachi. "What the heck? Little nasty I don't want you like that, I have a girlfriend! Besides, what do you think I am? A pedophile? In your dreams!" yelled Orochi. What are they teaching kids these days, thought Orochimaru. Isn't he a little young to have 'a type'? At that time Iruka's voice came out of nowhere. "Sasuke, Itachi! Lunch time!" "I will be back!" said Orochimaru disappearing into a cloud of snakes and curse marks.

-End Flashback-

"So he has finally come back!" said Naruto. "Actually, no. That wasn't the only time." said Itachi.

-Flashback Begins-

Orochimaru appeared in a flash of snakes and curse marks. Little Itachi was now a little older. Baby Sasuke was no longer a baby. They were playing in the nursery. "Oh look, it's not Michael Jackson." said Little older Itachi. "I'm not Michael Jackson!" said Orochimaru. "That's what I said." said little older Itachi. "This time I will kidnap you." said Orochimaru. He whipped out a sack and a bunch of rope. No longer a baby Sasuke looked at the MJ wannabe. "Who are you?" he asked him. "A pedophile," said little older Itachi, "with bad taste." he finished, eying the rope in Orochi's hands. "What?" asked Orochi more than a little confused. "I don't do bondage. That was so last year." little older Itachi clarified crossing his arms and looking annoyed. It took a minute for this piece of info to sink into Orochi's head. "I'M NOT A PEDOPHILE!" "Itachi, Sasuke, dinner time!" said good old Iruka's voice. "I will be back!" Orochi disappeared in a chariot made of curse marks pulled by a team of snakes into the sunset.

-Flashback ends-

The group of people looked at Itachi like the weird human being he was. "Then there was this other time." Itachi began remembering again.

-Begin flashback-

Itachi was older than the last time and Sasuke was like older than a toddler age. Orochimaru appeared, wrapped up in curse marks following a pair of tunnel digging snakes. The two princes were at the beach building a sand castle. "Oh, you came. Again." said older Itachi. "Yes. And this time I will succeed in taking you." said Orochi. "Hi, Mr. Pedophile." said a little older than a toddler Sasuke. "I'M NOT A.." "Itachi, Sasuke, snack time!"

-Flashback interrupted-

"Enough! We get it! He couldn't get you so now he's after Sasuke!" yelled Sakura. "We have to save him!" said Ino. "Itachi, you will come with me. We'll go get him. Everybody else stay here." said Kakashi. The two smexylicious guys headed out. The princesses, their associates, and the castle's inhabitants stood around. "Where's Naruto?" asked Lee.

At the snake's hideout

Sasuke was startled. He never saw eyes that looked like that before. "What do you want?" he asked the man. "I want your body." Sasuke was quiet for a few seconds. "Sorry, I don't roll that way." he said. "Not like that! I have a girlfriend!" yelled Orochi. What is wrong with these kids? Orochi thought to himself. "What I meant was I will take over your body, possess it, and become the next king of Konoha!" he started laughing like a maniac. "Kabuto! Prepare the machine!" "Yes master." said the hunchback igor with white hair and glasses (the thing Sasuke thought was a polar bear).

Sasuke stared at the man. "Wait a second, I remember you. You're that pedophile who was friends with Itachi." said Sasuke. The wannabe MJ twitched and did the moonwalk to stand in front of Sasuke. He spun around, stood on his toes, grabbed his crotch and yelled in a high pitched voice "I AM NOT A PEDOPHILE!" He then moonwalked back to Kabuto. Sasuke was very disturbed by that display and decided it would be better to keep quiet. He wondered briefly when the people were going to come rescue him. He just had to sit tight and wait.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Rescue Mission

Sasuke watched as the machine revved to life under Kabuto's administrations. The igor grinned as steam from the machine's belly fogged up his glasses. Wheels and gears started to turn as Kabuto continued to shovel hot coals into it. Whistles, hoots, and grinding noises began to pour out of the machine with every blast of hot air. Sasuke winced at the noise, then realized the noises made music, like chitty chitty bang bang's engine. He nearly freaked out when he saw Orochimaru and Kabuto bob up and down in time to the music. Please, please, please tell me they are not going to sing, Sasuke prayed. "Sounds good doesn't it?" Orochi asked. "You should have heard how it sounded before. Terrible. Now it makes music. But wait, this isn't the best part."

Sasuke wondered, what could be better than this? Then all of a sudden, the sound of bagpipes filled the air. Orochi and Kabuto began to do something that looked like an Irish jig. Sasuke wanted to puke. "Oh Chi-chi-maaaaaaaaaaarrruuuuuuuuuuu!" came the sound of a woman's voice from the midst of the bagpipes. Sasuke began to really freak out. The machine talked too! "Yeah Anko?" yelled Orochi. A pregnant woman with black hair pulled back in a ponytail and wearing a dress poked her head from around a doorway. "Dinner's ready."

Sasuke noticed a weird black spiral kind of mark on her neck. He would have thought it was just a tattoo if it was not glowing all red and creepy like. "Oh, alright. Kabuto! Dinner, then we take over the prince's body." The igor groaned holding things that looked disturbingly like scalpels. Kabuto put them down and the two crazy people went to go get dinner. Sasuke was left alone with the bagpipe playing, beat-box-kind-of-sound making machine that was going to let the wannabe MJ pedophile take over his body. He began trying to get out of his rope and ignore the pain in a certain spot behind his neck.

With the rescue team

Kakashi and Itachi stood outside the snake's hideout. "How did you know where it was?" asked Kakashi. "I remembered it from last time." said Itachi.

-Begin Flashback-

"ENOUGH WITH THE FLASHBACKS ALREADY!" screamed a voice. The two men whirled around. "Princess Naruto? What are you doing here? This is no place for a lady. Go back to the castle." said Kakashi. "No it's alright. I have a feeling she will be more of a help than a hindrance." said Itachi. Kakashi decided to let it go. "Fine but stay with us at all times." he told Naruto. Naruto nodded his agreement. The trio burst through a window and into the building. They were greeted with the sound of bagpipes playing Scottish drinking songs.

"Oh no we're too late!" said Itachi. "What do you mean?" asked Kakashi. "Bagpipes mean death!" said Itachi. "Sasuke!" called Naruto. Sasuke's head shot up. Had his fear of dying brought to his ears the sound of his angel's voice for the very last time? "Look there he is!" he heard again. He looked around and saw Kakashi, Itachi and Naruto looking at him. "Naruto!" he said in surprise. Kakashi began cutting him loose. "What is she doing here?" he asked Kakashi softly. "She sneaked in." said Kakashi. Sasuke looked at Naruto who looked back at him with a huge grin on his face. She risked herself just to save me. Sasuke thought. The two stared at each other for a long time. Itachi cleared his throat. Sasuke whipped his head away from Naruto and looked at his brother and bodyguard. Kakashi was grinning with his one eye but Itachi had an… interesting look on his face.

"Let's go." they said. "Ho-ho-ho-ho-hold up! Check it out." said a voice behind the quartet. They whirled around and saw the igor holding sharp pointy surgical objects. The pregnant woman stood behind him looking angry. "You're not leaving this place." said the lady named Anko identifying herself as the one who had spoken earlier. "Anko!" said Itachi. "Itachi." said Anko. "Itachi?" asked Sasuke wondering how his brother knew this woman. "Kabuto!" said Anko. Kabuto rushed with a knife towards Sasuke. "Sasuke!" yelled Kakashi trying to protect him but finding that he could not move. "Naruto!" said Sasuke as Naruto appeared in front of Sasuke holding a knife to block the incoming attack. "Orochimaru." said Orochimaru holding Kakashi in his purple light spell. "Stop it or the masked man dies."

All fighting and name-calling screeched to a halt. Orochi walked towards the four men holding the hand that controlled Kakashi in a fist. "We meet again Itachi." he said. "Indeed. Since you could not get me, you attack my brother. How low can you go?" said Itachi. "I know you must be curious so I'll explain my evil plan." said Orochi, ignoring Itachi's earlier quip. "We're not." said the three castle men and the thief simultaneously.

"I used to be friends with the previous king. Jiraya, Tsunade, and I were best friends. We were like the three musketeers except one of us was a girl." "You knew our parents?" asked Sasuke. "Of course. Were you not listening?" said Orochi. "I was in love with Tsunade but she ended up marrying Jiraya. She didn't even have feelings for him, it was only because he was going to be king."

"How did you know our parents?" asked Itachi. "That's the first I've heard of this." "Silence! And listen to my backstory!" said Orochi squeezing his hand until Kakashi yelled in pain. Seeing as he had their undivided attention, he continued. "So, I decided that I would show them. That I would become the king of Konoha and Tsunade would love me. However, it was impossible. Jiraya was hard to kill. Therefore, I left and became a wizard. " Therefore, thought Naruto. Who speaks like that?

"A few years later I met the witch Anko. We fell in love and now we're going to have a beautiful baby." The two smiled at each other. "And now, we will take over Sasuke's body and rule as king and queen over this kingdom. Our baby will rule after us!" said Orochi triumphantly. "Ahem." coughed the igor. "Along with our prime minster and doctor, Igor. I mean Kabuto." said Orochi.

The four good guys stared at the three bad guys like the crazy people they were. "You'll never get away with this." said Kakashi. "Oh we will. Because after I take over Sasuke's body and Kabuto takes over Itachi's body we will have the future of the entire kingdom under our control!" "But what about us?" asked Naruto. "Oh right. You die." said Orochi flinging Kakashi into a nearby wall. "Kakashi!" yelled the princes and the boy in drag. "Kabuto!" yelled Orochi and his pregnant wife. Kabuto jumped at them with his knife but Itachi stopped him with a sword. "I'll be your opponent." Awesome blade battle ensues.

Naruto runs towards Kakashi to see if he was all right. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Yes my lady. But I might have broken a couple of bones." Kakashi answered spitting out blood. "Don't worry. These wounds are nothing to a ninja." "Huh?" asked Naruto. "I said these wounds are nothing to a highly trained soldier. Move aside!" he leapt forward to do battle with Orochi.

"Four against three? How exciting." said Anko as she summoned up a pair of men, one with two heads and another with eight arms. "Get them!" she shouted and the featureless phantoms attacked Naruto and Sasuke. "I'll protect you." said Sasuke snatching the knife that Naruto had abandoned. He yelped and grabbed the back of his neck fainting clean away.

Naruto picked up his skirts, kicked off his heels, grabbed the knife himself and went to work on the phantoms. Awesome ninja battle ensues.

After the battle

Anko, Kabuto, and Orochi escaped away on a giant flying snake with wings. "You think you're all that?" Anko yelled at them from atop the snake's head. "You're not! We will get you back! Somehow!" The three fighters watched as the snake crashed through the roof of the hideout, carrying the villains and the bagpipe-playing machine of death with it into the night. They picked up the unconscious Sasuke and returned to the castle.

Later that evening

Itachi and Naruto were standing together under a tree somewhere. There was no one around to hear the conversation, Kiba and Lee made sure of that. However, they went unnoticed as Itachi told Naruto what he had to tell him.

"I think my brother is falling in love with you." said Itachi. Naruto stared as Kiba choked in the bushes. Lee remained silent. Itachi's eyes wandered to the bush where the sounds of someone struggling for breath were coming from. He decided to ignore it. "I know that you and Kiba are only here to do a job. I suggest you finish it quickly and leave the castle immediately. My brother needs to get a queen. One who would be able to rule by his side and give him heirs. It would not be a good idea for you to deceive him any longer." Itachi advised. Naruto nodded. "I understand." Itachi nodded back and turned to leave. "Thank you for your help in rescuing my brother." he walked away leaving Naruto sad and confused, Kiba worried and Lee thoughtful.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Third Test

A loving heart and strength

In the palace

It was the day of the ball. Sasuke was recovering from his kidnapping and the princess candidates were chilling in a little gathering room with Shizune. Itachi had left to areas unknown once again, and the castle's inhabitants were bustling with activity. The entire kingdom was excited, for this was the third and final test. Then, their prince would choose one of those lucky girls to become their queen.

In Naruto's room

Kiba and Lee were sitting on the beds, thinking about the events that took place a couple of days before. The prince was kidnapped, rescued, and Itachi dropped the 'Sasuke fell in love with Naruto' bombshell on them before he left the palace. Lee looked at Kiba. He could tell that the boy was very worried about what would happen to his brother. He sat on the bed stroking a sad looking Akamaru. "Well, we gotta get outta here before it's too late." said Kiba. "I know." Lee replied. "Too bad we have to leave before we get a fortune." said Kiba. "I thought you stole a lot of things," said Lee. "I did, but that'll just last for like a year or two. I was planning for this heist to send us into retirement." Kiba said flopping down on his bed. "At least we can afford a two year vacation."

Lee thought about it, and decided Kiba sounded way too much like he was accepting defeat. And if there was anything Lee hated was to fail or be defeated. He always had to excel or die trying. "No. You will be able to afford retirement," said Lee. "Watch-you-talking-bout?" asked Kiba looking interested. "Steal the king's crown."

"That's impossible." said Kiba, sitting up. "That thing is locked up and heavily guarded. I know, I checked." Lee smiled. "Yes, but they're going to take it out, tonight at the ball. Sasuke's going to be wearing it." Kiba stared. "And you know this, how?" "Let's just say I've bonded with a couple of individuals over an orange chicken." Lee said smugly. "Uh, huh." Kiba decided to just ignore that, since he had no idea what that meant. "So how are we going to get his crown if it's sitting on his head?"

Lee stared at him. "You're the master thief planner. Think of something." Kiba was silent for a while staring at a spot on the wall. Then he smiled his toothy canine smile. "I have a plan."

Later

Naruto returned to his room from hanging out with the princesses. As he entered, he saw Lee and Kiba packing their things. His heart leaped and he was not sure if it was relief or apprehension. "Are we leaving?" he asked. "Yes, but not yet." said Lee. "We have one more job to do." Naruto looked between the both of them. Apparently, they had been making plans behind his back. "I'm a part of this group too, you know," he said placing his hands on his hips. Kiba couldn't help but think he looked like a girl about to throw a fit. "Exactly. For this last job, we're going to need your help." Kiba told him. Naruto felt a chill run through him. He had a feeling he was not going to like this. "We need you to steal Sasuke's crown. Right from his head."

Naruto gaped. "What?" He squeaked. "The prince will be wearing his crown tonight. Steal it and then we head out." said Kiba. "How am I supposed to do that?" asked Naruto. Lee sighed. "Naruto, I've seen you steal an old man's false teeth from his mouth just because he made you upset. And he didn't notice they were gone until he tried to smoke his pipe and ended up hurting his gums. Surely you can take a crown from someone's head." "But this isn't just someone. This is ..." began Naruto. "Yes, this is Sasuke. And even though you don't wanna, you're gonna hafta." said Kiba. Naruto sighed. "Alright."

Evening, at the ball

Naruto stood in a corner. He never felt so alone before. Under ordinary conditions, this job would have been a piece of cake. Naruto hadn't felt this nervous since his first B&E. He could see his target. It was gold, bright, covered in precious stones and sitting atop the country's future ruler's head. Although he couldn't see them, he knew Lee, Kiba, and Akamaru were around somewhere, in disguise, ready to give aid should he need it. The prince was walking around, greeting people, talking to old people, dancing with each of the princesses. Naruto noticed his eyes kept roving the room. Naruto did his best to remain out of that line of sight. He wondered if the prince was looking for him.

Naruto remained hidden in the shadows until Temari popped out of nowhere. "Greetings, fellow princess." she said with a smile. Naruto gaped like a fish for a couple of seconds before he could reply. "Hello," he said shakily. "Why are you hiding here? You should be out there enjoying yourself." Temari inquired. "I can't dance." Naruto said. "Oh right. You were raised in a convent. It doesn't matter. When you become queen you'll have all the time to learn."

That small remark did not escape Naruto's ears. "What?" he asked going pale. "You didn't hear it from me." Temari said with a wink. "Don't you want to be queen?" asked Naruto. "It's not about what we want. It's about what he wants." Temari said, stepping aside to reveal Sasuke and Gaara who had come up while Naruto was focused on Temari. Naruto could have died and cried. She tricked me! He thought. She distracted me so Sasuke could sneak up behind me, damn her and her brother. He watched as the siblings walked away leaving him behind with Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at Naruto. From the stricken look on her face, he was right in assuming she was avoiding him. After he woke up from the kidnapping, Kakashi was in the hospital and had nothing but praise for the princess. But for a girl who grew up with nuns, how did she know how to fight like that? Also, Itachi was gone when he woke up, so he couldn't even interrogate his brother for information on the mysterious princess.

But why would she want to avoid him? After risking her life to save him, surely she cared about him as much as he did for her. Maybe it was because he fainted for no reason. She probably thought weak guys were a turn off. He hoped not. That was the first and only time that sort of thing happened. He needed to talk to her and set things straight. But this was not the place to do it.

"Would you join me on the terrace?" he asked Naruto. Naruto started. The terrace? Yes, it was dark, empty, and he could steal the crown with no one the wiser. "Sure." he said with a smile. The two headed away from the party with three shadows in tow.

On the terrace

The music from the ball was faint since it was a good ways away. Naruto was semi-pleased. The prince was leading him away from guards, guests, and anyone who could help him if a scuffle got underway. But his heart was beating louder and louder. The two of them sat on a bench and the cool evening air blew across them. Naruto put a hand on his head to make sure the wind didn't take his hair away.

The prince was quiet. Naruto was sitting close to him deliberately. There was no way he would see whatever his hands were doing as he reached for the item on the boy's head. Sasuke abruptly turned to him and he froze mid grab. Sasuke didn't seem to notice.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked. "What?" Naruto asked putting the hand still in midair on his head as if that was where it was going all along. "You've been avoiding me all night. What did I do? I'll make it up to you." Naruto shook his head. "No, you did nothing wrong. I just didn't want to dance with you." Sasuke felt a little hurt. "Why?" "'Cause I can't dance!" Naruto said with a sheepish smile. "Oh, is that it? I thought you hated me or something." said Sasuke. "Why would I hate you?" "Well, when I was supposed to protect you, I fainted and left you in danger." Sasuke said.

Naruto was surprised. If it were he, he would never admit something like that. But this guy said it as if it were natural. Either a, this dude was really into him or two, this dude was truthful. Naruto felt warm. He had a feeling that he would be a good king. Sasuke was still staring at him and they were a bit too close for comfort. Naruto wanted to scoot back but if he did, the crown would be out of reach.

Sasuke stared at Naruto and Naruto stared back. (At least he thought Naruto was staring back. Naruto was trying to get the crown without him noticing.) He leaned closer and no reaction. So Sasuke took that as permission and kissed Naruto right on the lips.

During the staring session, Naruto was back in stealing position. The prince did not notice as his shaking hand plucked the crown right from his head. Naruto gave a small sigh of relief and then the prince's mouth was on his own. Taken by surprise, Naruto closed his eyes and melted into the kiss and the crown dropped out of his now nerveless hand. The two jumped as it fell with a loud CLANG! Sasuke looked at it surprised. "Oops, I didn't even feel it slip off." he commented picking it up and placing it back on his head. Naruto stared. "I have to go." he said, getting up and leaving. "Oh, okay." said Sasuke feeling disappointed. She kissed me back, though, he thought. Naruto stopped and turned around. "Thank you." he said, face bright pink, and then whirled quickly away. Sasuke smiled, blushing himself. "You're welcome."

In Naruto's room

Kiba and Lee had retreated to the room, the minute they saw Naruto remove the crown from the prince's head, and were ready to make their escape the minute Naruto arrived. Naruto burst through the door a few seconds later. "Alright! Let's get out of here." Kiba said ready to leave through the open window. But something was not right. "Naruto?" Lee asked the boy. Kiba nearly fainted as he saw his brother was crying. "I couldn't do it." Naruto said sinking to the floor. The other two noticed that the crown was absent. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't do it." Lee knelt beside him and put his arm around the sobbing boy. "It's okay Naruto. It happens to everybody." Lee looked at Kiba and Kiba realized that getting Naruto out of the palace and back to the way things were was not going to be as easy as he thought.


End file.
